"I have no idea how these things are decided. Their line to me was that they were selling their top striker because they could no longer afford his wages. I was pretty shocked, though I was aware that a decent salary makes you vulnerable.

I've been writing for The Times since 1982, and I'm sorry it had to end like this. I've been able to work on some great stories — elephant corridors in India and London 2012, the Peak District and Wimbledon 2013.

I'm making rather a point of not looking backwards right now, so I'm trying not to speculate on why I left."

Aside from the sports beat, Barnes has also written a weekly wildlife and bird-watching column. According to Avery, who runs a wildlife blog, Barnes's uncompromising coverage of the persecution of the hen harrier (example here) might have played a part in Barnes's departure on the grounds that it "would go down well with some of the readers of the paper of the establishment."

I somehow doubt that, but it's an amusing theory: sports writer required to leave paper for defending a bird of prey.